0326 Dreams as a Dimension of Sleep Health: Expanding the RU-SATED Model

Abstract Introduction The RU-SATED measure (Buysse, 2014) is a 6-item scale assessing sleep health dimensions: Regularity, Satisfaction, Alertness, Timing, Efficiency, and Duration. This study aimed to (1) establish convergent and discriminant validity of the RU-SATED with established sleep measures, and (2) evaluate three candidate items to expand the scale to include dream health (RU-SATED-D). Methods Undergraduate participants (N = 501; 67% female, 6% gender diverse; 44% White; M age = 19.35, SD = 2.13) completed the RU-SATED, three candidate dream items, nine established sleep/nightmare measures (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Insomnia Severity Index, Glasgow Sleep Appraisal Questionnaire, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale, PROMIS Sleep Disturbance, Nightmare Distress Index, Disturbing Dreams and Nightmare Severity Index, Nightmare Severity Index), and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) for discriminant validity. Three candidate items assessing dream-related sleep disturbances were evaluated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), with each item tested individually alongside the original 6 RU-SATED items, plus convergent validity with nightmare indices and incremental validity analyses. Results RU-SATED items showed strong convergent validity with sleep measures (|r| = 0.11-0.72, p < 0.05) and weaker correlations with AUDIT (r = -0.19 to 0.00), supporting discriminant validity. Single-factor models for each candidate dream item demonstrated acceptable fit (RMSEA = 0.036-0.047, TLI = 0.953-0.968), with factor loadings of 0.273-0.503. All items showed strong convergent validity with nightmare measures (r = 0.26-0.45, p < 0.001). The item “I sleep through the night without being awakened by dreams” displayed superior incremental validity across sleep outcomes (ΔR² = 0.012-0.028, p < 0.05). Conclusion RU-SATED demonstrated strong convergent and discriminant validity with established sleep measures. The expanded RU-SATED-D scale demonstrated strong psychometric properties, supporting dreams as a distinct component of sleep health warranting assessment. Support (if any)